Sealing machines for containers



March 20, 1956 o. J. BRUUN 2,738,632

SEALING MACHINES FOR CONTAINERS Filed June 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l /m I L k Attorneys.

March 20, 1956 o. J. BRUUN 2,738,632

SEALING MACHINES FOR CONTAINERS Filed June 3, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /o\ I'l l5 1 \\\x\\ I H1503 II B I II 0504 I I l0 4a 1 I l 3 l4 l6 v /o I I /7 6 15 ,Z: I l :1 I6

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8 9 Z 6 .v Inventor OTTO \TOHA NNES 5mm F0 50 5 6,2 MW l m Attorney United States Patent 2,738,632 SEALING MACHINES FOR CONTAINERS Otto Johannes Bruun, Stoke Park, near Slough, England Application June 3, 1952, Serial No. 291,491 Claims priority, application Portugal November 22, 1951 7 Claims. (Cl. 53-341) This invention relates to machines for the sealing of conical cup shaped containers by means of lids of pliable sheet material having an upstanding peripheral ring of inverted U section whose flanges are clamped on each side of the rim of the container. Examples of such containers and lids are to be found in the specification of my prior copending application Serial No. 275,995 filed March 11, 1952, now abandoned.

The object of the invention is the provision of an improved machine whereby lids may be afl'ixed on conical containers rapidly and efiiciently.

In order that the invention may be the more clearly understood two machines in accordance therewith will now be described, reference being made to the accom.

panying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the essential parts of one machine, together with the container and lid at the commencement of an affiXing operation.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the same shown at the end of the affixing operation.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating a modification.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the essential parts of a somewhat different machine, employed for aflixing a lid of somewhat different form, the machine being shown at the commencement of the afiixing operation.

,Figure 5 is a similar view of the same shown at an intermediate stage of the afiixing operation.

Figure 6 is a similar view of the same shown at the end of the afiixing operation.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, these illustrate a machine for affixing a lid like that of Figs. 3 and 4 of said prior copending application aforesaid to a container of the general type shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of said prior copending application. This machine comprises a piston 6' which is slidable within a cylinder 7, and is biased by means of a coil spring 8 to an upper limit. The top of said piston is formed as shown with a sunken recess 9, in which fits the bottom end of the container. A plunger 10, above the cylinder and piston, has its lower end formed to fit Within the inner flange of the ring 4 with its bottom surface flush against the top 3 of the lid. The periphery of said plunger 10 is coned so as to be substantially parallel to the coned surface 11 of the cylinder 7.

.In operation, with the piston 6 biased to its upper limit the container is placed on said piston with its bottom end in the sunken recess 9 as described, the plunger 10 at this stage being at a raised The upper end of the container is well above the upper end of the cylinder 7. The plunger is now caused to descend, and, at a given point, its bottom surface abuts against the top 3 of the lid with its lower end fitting closely within the inner flange of the ring 4. The position is now shown in Figure 1. The plunger 10 continues to descend, pressing the container down with it, and, .by virtue of the rigidity of the container, also pressing down the piston 6 in opposition to the spring 8.

The inner surface of the cylinder wall is coned outwardly at its upper end substantially parallel to the surface of the plunger 10 as shown at 11, and thus, when the plunger 10 reaches a position at which its lower end,

out-of-the-way position.

which is within the inner flange of the ring 4, is level with this surface 11, there will be an annular clearance between said lower end and said surface 11, which clearance will progressively grow less as the conical plunger continues to descend. The ring 4 embracing the upper rim of the container lies in this clearance, and, as the plunger descends to the point where the conical plunger is about to abut against the surface 11 the two opposite flanges of the ring 4 will be clamped tight against either side of the container wall, the cylinder 7 and, in particular, the surface 11 thereof, acting as a matrix. The position is now as illustrated in Figure 2.

The assembly of the container and its lid is now complete. The plunger 10 is raised to its original position and the piston 6 together with the container, is returned by the spring 8 to its limiting upper position determined by the shoulder 12. The container is then removed.

As an alternative the top of the piston 6 may be smooth and without the sunken recess and so that said top in its resting position is flush with the top edge of the cylinder 7 which facilitates the mechanical removal of the sealed container in automatically operated sealing machines.

Figure 3 illustrates a modification in which the cooperating conical surfaces 10 and 11 are of a larger angle to their axis than the conical sidewall of the container so that the sealed portion of the container will be shaped outwards in this angle which is wider than the rest of the container sidewall which will cause the lid to be more securely afiixed than is the case if the covers 10 and 11 are parallel to the sidewall of the container.

Referringnow to Figures 4, 5 and 6 these illustrate a modified form of machine which is employed for afiixing a lid like that of Figure 5 of said prior copending application in which the outer flange 4a of the U section sealing ring 4 extends more or less horizontally outwards. This machine is, in the main, similar to that of Figures 1 and 2 (modified if desired according to Figure 3) and the same references are applied to like parts. The difference resides in the by the plunger 10 and whose purpose is to bend the outer flange 4a of the ring 4 downwards before it enters into the cylinder 7 so that said ring forms an inverted U section and is capable of being compressed between the plunger 10 and the surface 11 of the cylinder 7.

More particularly said sleeve 13 consists of a skirt extending vertically downwards from the edge of a horizontal disc 14 which is mounted so as to slide concentrically on the vertical thrust rod 15 whose lower end carries the plunger 10.. Said sleeve 13 surrounds the plunger 10 and said disc 14 is biased downwards relative to the thrust rod 15 by means of a spring 16, by suflicient force to bend the flange 4a of the sealing ring 4 as shown in Figure 6. y x

When theplunger 10 descends, the lower edge of the sleeve 13 first engages the outer flange 4a of the sealing ring 4, and bends it down over the rim of the container so that the lid is converted substantially into the same form as that of Figures 3 and 4 of said prior copending application. On further descent the sleeve 13 abuts against the top surface and the plunger 10 end engaged in the as in the case of Figures 1 and 2, the lid and container, together with the piston 6, are carried down into the cylinder '7, in opposition to the spring 8, until the lid has been properlyv afiixed.

I claim:

continues downwards with its lower 1. A machine for afiixing a lid of pliable sheet material with an upstanding peripheral ring of inverted U section to the open end of a truncated conical container the diameter of which progressively decreases towards the Patented Mar. 20, 1956 7 provision of a sleeve 13 which is carried 17 of the cylinder 7 and stops,

flat centre portion 3 of the lid, and,

bottomrthereof; comprising a" rigid and not expansible matrix. and a'cooperating plunger, said plunger being relatively solid and having an npper diameter greater than the lowermost diameter andmaintaining said diameters constant, said plunger being also adapted to engage said lid within said upstanding ring, when said ringyis inplace on the rimof said container, and to push said'lid' and container jointly downwardly intothe interior ofsaid matrix, while maintaining the diameter of said matrix substantially constant, the outer periphery of the active portion of said plunger'having a slope substantially equal to the slope of the inner periphery of said'matrix, relative to the direction of motion of said plunger; whereby the insertion of the-plunger causes said two'last mentioned peripheries to approach one another so that'said ring and said container rim are clamped securely therebetween.

2. A machine for affixing a lid of pliable sheet material with an upstanding peripheral ring of inverted U section to the open end of a truncated conical container of the type progressively diminishing in diameter in a downward direction, comprising a matrix and a cooperating plunger, said plunger being of a substantially constantdiameter at any horizontal plane intersecting theconical portion thereof and being also adapted to engage said lid within said upstanding ring, when said ring is in place on the rim of said container and to push said lid and container jointly downward into the interior of said matrix, the outer periphery of said plunger having a downward inwardly coned portion of substantially the same angle as said conical container which engages the inner flange of said ring, and the inner periphery of said matrix having an upwardly outwardly coned portion of substantially the same angle as said conical container which engages the outer flange of said ring, whereby said two flanges are clamped between said inwardly and outwardly coned portions, and are squeezed together, due to the substantially identical angles of all said elements, whilst said plunger is moving downwardly.

3. A machine for aflixing a lid of pliable sheet material with an upstanding peripheral ring of inverted U section to the open end of a partially conicalcontainer, comprising a matrix and a cooperating rigid and nonexpansible plunger, said plunger'being downwardly tapered so as to engage said lid within said upstanding ring, when said ring is in place on the rim of said container and upon downward motion to push said lid and container jointly into the interior of said matrix, the outer periphery of said plunger having a downward inwardly coned portion which engages the inner flange of said ring, and the inner periphery of said matrix having an upward outwardly coned portion which engages the outer flange of said ring, whereby said two flanges are clamped between said inwardly and outwardly coned portions, said inwardly and outwardly coned portions being of a larger angle to their axis than the conical sidewall of the container.

4. A machine for affixing a lid of pliable'sheet material with an upstanding peripheral ring of inverted U section to the open end of a'downwardly tapered truncated conical container, comprising a downwardly tapered matrix, a rigid plunger adapted to be pressed into said matrix, a piston axially reciprocable within said matrix, and spring means biasing said piston outwards from said matrix to a given normal position, said plunger being adapted to engage said lid withinsaid' upstanding ring, when said ring is in place on the rim of said container, and said container has its bottom abutting against the said piston, and to push said lid and container, together with said piston downwardly into said matrix in opposition to said biasing means, the outer'periphery of said plunger and the inner periphery of said matrix being formed to engage and clamp between them the two flanges of'said ring.

5. A machine for affixing a lid of pliable sheet material with an upstanding peripheral ring of inverted U section to the open end of a downwardly tapered truncated conical container, and in which the-outer flange'of the-ring initially extends outwards away from the axis of the lid, comprising a downwardly tapered matrix, a rigid and nonexpansible plunger adapted to' be pressed into said matrix and a sleeve mounted on said plunger and surrounding the same and axially reciprocable relative thereto,'whereby as said plunger approaches said matrix with saidlid facing said approaching plunger and said ring in place on the rim of said container, the end of saidsleeve is adapted first to engage said outer flange and bend it over to give the U section to said ring, and said plunger is adapted thereafter to push said lid and container downwardly into said matrix, the outer periphery of said plunger and the inner periphery of said matrix being formed to engage and clamp between them the two flanges of said ring.

6. A machine for affixing a lid of pliable sheet material with an upstanding peripheral ring of inverted U section to the open end of a downwardly tapered truncated conical container, and in which the outer flange of the ring initially extends outwards away from the axis of the lid, comprising a downwardly tapered matrix, a plunger formed of substantially non-resilient elements adapted to be pressed into said matrix and a non-expansible and rigid sleeve mounted on said plunger and surrounding the same and axially reciprocable relative thereto, whereby as said plunger approaches said matrix with said lid facing said approaching plunger and said ring in place on the rim of said container the end of said sleeve is adapted first to engage said outer flange and bend it over.

to give the U section to said ring, and said plunger is adapted thereafter to push said lid and container downwardly into said matrix causing said sleeve to engage the mouth of said matrix and be arrested, the outer periphery of said plunger and the inner periphery of said matrix being formed to engage and clamp between them the two flanges of said ring.

7. A machine for afiixing a lid of pliable sheet material with an upstanding peripheral ring of inverted U section to the open end of a downwardly tapering truncated conical container, and in which the outer flange of said ring initially extends outwards away from the axis of said lid, comprising a matrix of internal truncated conical and downward tapering shape, a substantially rigid plung-v er having the lower portion thereof formed substantially as a truncated cone having the larger diameter towards the upper portion thereof, adapted to be pressed into said matrix, a non-expansible rigid sleeve mounted on said plunger and surrounding the same and axially reciprocable relative thereto, and spring means biasing said sleeve forwardly (i. e. towards said matrix) relative to said plunger to a given limit, whereby as said plunger approaches said matrix, with said lid facing said approaching plunger and said ring container, the end of said sleeve is adapted first to engage said outer flange and bend it over to give the U section to said ring, and said plunger is adapted thereafter to push said lid and container downwardly into said'matrix, causing said sleeve to engage said matrix and be arrested, the outer periphery of said plunger and the inner periphery of said matrix being formed to engage and clamp between them the two flanges of said ring.

References Cited in the file of thispatent' UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,067,797 Chellis July 22, 1913 1,154,352 Townsend Sept. 21, 1915 1,244,494 Hammer Oct. 30, 1917' 1,291,662 Townsend Jan. 14, 1919 1,434,996 Gaynor .Nov'. 7, 1922 1,668,305 Derby .May' 1, 19-28 FOREIGN PATENTS 720,410 France Dec. 3, 1931 in place on the rim of said 

